Dino

May/June 2011 – Some more comps

I have continued to climb well recentley.  I completed all of the Summer Boulder League problems at the Depot in one session scoring 281/300 to lead this comp from my friend Seb Smith going into the second round. The  British Bouldering Team Manager had enquired if I was going to compete in the Summer Rockfest Comp at Rockover Climbing in Manchester,  so I did. In this very well attended comp I finished in 10th place overall which doesn’t sound so special but this was a comp in which Dave Barrans and James Garden did not make the last 6 cut for the final, so I was pleased with my result.

The following week it was the Bloc Party Comp at City Bloc. Ben and Martin had set some excellent problems as usual. They also redesigned the comp wall ready for this event and with a full repaint it looked really good. I was still classed as a junior in this event , so I  won the juniors by several points. What was better was that I was only  3 points off making the open male final which included the likes of Adam Watson, Tom Newman, Nigel Callender, James Garden, Dave and Adam Jeeworth.  Tom ended up winning in a close final.

I have also been back to the Deport for the second round of the Summer Boulder League and I managed to flash  29 out of 30 problems and got the other one on my second go scoring 297/300.

I have been going down to Rokt in Brighouse fairly often recentley and things are really coming on there. They have now got a big lead wall up and have a full programme of top setters going in over the next year. I am to be doing a weeks work experience from college  there at the begining of July so I am looking forward to that.

No more exams til 2012J

Winter/Spring 2011 Update

Seen as I have got a bit behind on my blog I have decided to write one update summarising winter/spring 2011

February 2011

The BMC competitions committee decided that no UK Youth Climber will take part in the new European Bouldering Championships. The reasons given were that some Committee members have significant reservations about the health implications of young climbers undertaking training for bouldering and that there has not been a fair selection process for the event.  My dad suggested that they use the BBC’c and CWIF but they say they cannot do this because they did not announce it in advance. Obviously; I was gutted as these comps would have been a brilliant experience for me.

March 2011

CWIF

In March I competed for the City Bloc Team at the CWIF. It was good to turn up and find out that the age limit for juniors in this event is 18. I really enjoy competing in the CWIF and have done pretty well in previous years.

The morning qualifying session was very busy and I actually didn’t get chance to try all 30 problems because of this. I ended up scoring 191, which I was not sure whether or not to be pleased with. However when the afternoon qualifier results came in later in the afternoon I realised I had done alright. As I was in 27^th place overall and top junior by over 20 places. I also went back on the Sunday and flashed two of the problems I did not get to try on the Saturday and another had been taken down so who knows?

The City Bloc Team was made up of Tom Sugden, Louis Parkinson, and Frankie Mosley who all did well and we finished 8^th overall which was really good given the range of Brit and Euro stars in the Teams above us. The Semi’s and the Finals were great to watch and I thought that the new 2 day format worked well. I am looking forward to next year when I will still be a junior. Who knows; the first junior ever to qualify for the Final at the CWIF...?

March 2011

Boulder Leeds - I was pleased to finish second overall in the Boulder Leeds winter league. I was second to Dave Barrans who won every round convincingly. My aim for next year will probably be to just up my scores from this year. Thanks to City Bloc, The Depot and The Leeds Wall for running the comps

April 2011

Boulder Manchester Final Round – I also took part in Boulder Manchester this year and the final round was at Rockover after 5 previous rounds at MCC and Rockover. I finished 3^rd in the final round which was enough to take 3^rd overall in the series. I also flashed the cash prize problem on the night but so did 4 others so the money was shared amongst us.

April 2011

ROKT Opens – A new climbing wall ROKT opened in Brighouse this month. It is extremely handy for me as I can get there easily on public transport. ROKT has big plans and excellent potential. I spent some time there in April doing a bit of setting and getting to know the people there. I also won the cash prize problem on their official opening night giving me £100 which was an great bonus.

May 2011

ASBO – My dad and I went up to Climb Newscastle for the Annual Spring Boulder Open  Comp – This is another favourite having made the final the previous year there is also a great crowd there which certainly helps me perform.

Well, when I arrived my friend from City Bloc – Martin Smith told me that he had completed the qualifying problems and had scored 337 out of 350, I therefore knew qualifying was going to be tight. I got my act together and produced my best ever qualifying result in a big comp and qualified in 1^st place with a score of 347. My dad even did unusually well at the ASBO getting some problems that are normally beyond his range.

 The final went ok and I was in equal first place after the flashing the first problem, however the second was very difficult and I could not get past the bonus hold. I should have got the last problem but it had been a long day and I was tired and I fell off the second last hold after several attempts to get there. I was very pleased for Martin, despite him knocking me of the Podium when he got the last problem on his 8^th attempt to take 3^rd. The comp was won by Nigel Calendar in convincing style.

May 2011

 We are going to FONT –woop!  My parents have booked the summer holiday and it includes 6 days in FONT and 2 weeks in the Alps. I have been to fontainbleu a couple of times before but i was very young. Now that I have matured I can go back and work some of the harder stuff.

May 2011

EXAMS